Nothing as far as I know.Speaking as someone who did night shift for a very long time...Go have a chat with your general medical practitioner on the health effects of interrupting your circadian rhythm.It will make you think twice.kind regards

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

This, of course, refers to a person staying out late at night for sensory pleasure. It wouldn't apply to persons working night-shift, studying, or staying awake at nights for some other unavoidable reasons.

There is one sutta passage around somewhere which is specifically critical of monastics who spend all night planning and scheming things (the term used is something like "smolder and burn", or something like that), and don't do what they should be doing during the day, but sleep and drift off. But I think the emphasis here is more that monastics shouldn't be planning and scheming, rather than the times in which they do these things.

Whatever the case, it's not good for one's health. I remember studying this when researching shift work (in factories, etc.) as an Engineering student. Not good for physical or mental / emotional health, in general. (Though there probably are exceptions.) As Mawkish has said.

My recently moved Blog, containing some of my writings on the Buddha Dhamma, as well as a number of translations from classical Buddhist texts and modern authors, liturgy, etc.: Huifeng's Prajnacara Blog.

There is something to human beings' current common plan of waking and sleeping. Evolutionarily speaking, primitive humans were incapable of getting much done after sunset, so sleep became a natural thing to do. When I attempted to "become" a "night owl," I experienced all kinds of problems, including rapid fluctuations in appetite, headaches, fatigue, dizziness and more. Now, I happen to know people who actually have an opposite sleep schedule, but it seems natural for them (or at least more natural for them than for me). I would advise against intentionally attempting to change your sleep schedule in such a drastic manner.

I've also looked into the idea of circadian rhythms and it is present in nearly every species of animal. Something to consider.

Also, sunlight is indispensable for humans and all life. Sunlight aids in the production of vitamin D for humans, which assists in the absorption of calcium. Furthermore, for those of us suffering from mental illness, sunlight reaps great benefits, and lack of it can lead to an increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Doctors even recommend sufferers live in regions with extended periods of sunlight throughout the year.

If you naturally find being nocturnal more comfortable, then most likely it could be done, besides the inconvenience that the rest of that side of the planet is running on a schedule opposite of you.

When I've got a period of time with few obligations and I can sleep and wake up whenever I choose, I often slip into night-owlism. Maintaining a normal sleep schedule has been a struggle my entire life. I'd spend the majority of my waking hours at night, if it weren't so inconvenient when it comes to functioning in the outside world.

I work the night shift (2230-0700) and when I am not working I keep night shift hours, rarely going to bed before 0200, mostly off to bed between 0300 and 0600.

When you are young to can get away with, for awhile, shifting your shifts, but as you get older, the harder it gets, unless you are one of those who can get by with little sleep.

If you are going to shift to essentially a night life, it will take a while, but you need to be consistent and you need to find consistent times to get up and go to bed. At first you will experience "sleep hell" aka jet lag and that could go for a month. Do some reading about Melatonin, which can help with the shift of sleeping hours so radically. Melatonin can be gotten at any pharmacy, but use it carefully.

Use bright lights in your living quarters and use as many full spectrum lights as possible.When you get up, spend time outdoors in the sunlight, if possible. Trying to function in a dimly lit living/work environment will make things very difficult, but when sleeping, keep you room as dark as possible, using only very dim light if you have to get up.

As for sitting meditation, do it in a brightly lit room, eyes open if you are having difficulty staying awake. Also, do lots of walking or standing meditation.

Eat regularly at the same times as much as possible and exercise.

And keep in mind that doctor appointments and the like are going to be on the day shift, get them as early as possible or as late as possible.

And finally make sure you sleep at least 8 hours, even if you have to do it 4 here and 4 there, but best to try to do a solid 8 hours straigtht, and keep away from sleeping aids. It is not that you can't use them. It is, rather, they present a problem of dependency and messing up you dream/sleep cycles. Anything else, ask.

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723

>> Do you see a man wise[enlightened/ariya]in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<<-- Proverbs 26:12

That's interesting TiltWhen i was on night shift, I was working 1AM to 9AM, five days a week. My youngest son was born during the nine-month period I was on night shift. So, with a young family, I was five days on night shift, two days off. I wasn't prepared to live night shift continuously as I wouldn't see my family at all.The continual interruption to my circadian rhythms, and the draconian work conditions, were sheer hell. Most of my colleagues who had been there, admittedly longer than I, had chronic health problems including depression. kind regards

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Ben wrote:That's interesting TiltWhen i was on night shift, I was working 1AM to 9AM, five days a week. My youngest son was born during the nine-month period I was on night shift. So, with a young family, I was five days on night shift, two days off. I wasn't prepared to live night shift continuously as I wouldn't see my family at all.The continual interruption to my circadian rhythms, and the draconian work conditions, were sheer hell. Most of my colleagues who had been there, admittedly longer than I, had chronic health problems including depression. kind regards

Working nights can suck big time. Fortunately where I work we are unionized, which affords us protection against having to work three shifts in a pay period, and those like me get paid an extra $3.50 an hour for working straight nights.

I get paid very well, which allows me to work less than full time, and often I have a great deal of down to read, mess around in the internet and the like.

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723

>> Do you see a man wise[enlightened/ariya]in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<<-- Proverbs 26:12

What does Buddhism say about staying up at night and sleeping during the day?

I find it more peaceful at night.

Thank you in advance.

from my personal experience, the closest i can think of is waking up 2 hours before sunrise for meditation/pray/chant in the dark, then sleeping 1 hour after that. provided of course i go to bed early the day before (1-3 hours after sunset depending on the season and location - winter/summer - close/far from equator)but waking ALL NIGHT and sleeping ALL day....not sure the night and day were created for that...perhaps it varies from person to person....reminds me of the old "last minute study for exams" days...

oceanmen wrote:no need for aversions or cravings to labels like (created)...:

No aversion nor craving. Just curious about the use of the term. Humans evolved to be awake during the day, sleeping at night. Compared to night time animals we are rather pathetic as a night animal, but if a human wants shift to being awake during the night it can be done. It does not go against the "laws" of nature.

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723

>> Do you see a man wise[enlightened/ariya]in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<<-- Proverbs 26:12

oceanmen wrote:no need for aversions or cravings to labels like (created)...:

No aversion nor craving. Just curious about the use of the term. Humans evolved to be awake during the day, sleeping at night. Compared to night time animals we are rather pathetic as a night animal, but if a human wants shift to being awake during the night it can be done. It does not go against the "laws" of nature.